Indicator device



Dec. 28, 1965 -rz 3,225,479

INDICATOR DEVICE Filed April 26, 1962 United States Patent 3,225,479 INDICATOR DEVICE Roy E. Kanitz, Two Rivers, Wis., assignor to Hamilton Manufacturing Company, Two Rivers, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 190,462 6 Claims. (Cl. 40332) This invention relates generally to indicating devices for cocks used in chemistry laboratories and the like.

Chemistry laboratories are always equipped with a large number of cocks, or valves, for water, gas, etc., and some means must be provided to indicate the fluid supplied by each cock. In the past indicating devices have been threaded onto the cocks. One disadvantage of the conventional indicating devices is the fact that they are easily removed and reinstalled on another cock. This is undesirable because pranksters can easily remove the indicating devices from a number of cocks and interchange them. Such pranks may frequently result in damage or injury if, for example, the indicating devices for gas and oxygen cocks were reversed.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide an improved indicating device for cocks of the type used in a chemistry laboratory.

Another object is to provide an improved indicating device for a cock, which is not easily removed without damaging the device beyond a reusable condition.

Still another object is to provide an improved indicating device for a cock, which may be inexpensively manufactured and which permits an improved cock design.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a cock and an indicating device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of an indicating device embodying the invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a retaining ring of the indicating device shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an elevational View of another form of the indicating device.

In general, an indicating device embodying the invention comprises a button member having a substantially flat or slightly curved surface, the button member being adapted to be disposed in a cavity formed in a cock with the surface facing outwardly. Symbols or markings may be made on the surface to indicate the function of a particular cock. A plurality of outwardly extendings fingers are fastened to the button member, which are wedged in the cavity when the device is installed and hold the button member in the cavity. The fingers are constructed such that they would be damaged beyond a reusable condition if the device were removed, thereby preventing a prankster from removing the indicating device from one cock and installing it on another.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a portion of a cock of the type commonly used in chemistry laboratories, which includes a body 11), a bonnet 11 secured to the body 10, a stem or spindle 12 which extends through an opening formed in the bonnet 11 and into the body to actuate a valve mechanism, and a handwheel or knob 13 secured to the end of the stem 12. The handwheel 13 may be secured to the stem 12 by a screw 14. FIGS. 2 and 3, which extends through an opening formed in the handwheel 13 and is threaded into an axially extending hole formed in the end of the stem 12. The head 15 of the screw 14 holds the handwheel against the stem 12 and flutes or splines (not shown) may be provided to prevent relative rotation of these two members. The foregoing described cock is one for which an indicating device of the present invention is suitable but the invention is not limted to a cock of this particular construction.

A cavity, indicated generally by the number 18, is formed in the handwheel 13 at approximately its center, and an indicating device, indicated generally by the numeral 19, is fastened in this cavity 18. The indicating device 19, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, includes a button member 211 and a retaining ring 21. The button member 20 is preferably made of a durable somewhat flexible material such as nylon, and includes a dish-shaped disc portion 22 and a generally cylindrical portion 23 on the concave side of the portion 22. These two portions are preferably formed integrally. The cylindrical portion 23 is formed with four axially extending slots 24 which define four arcuate sections 25. An annular groove 27 is formed in the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 23 substantially midway between the dish-shaped portion 22 and the end of the cylindrical portion, and the outer surface of the cylindrical portion is tapered as indicated at 28 between the groove 27 and the end. The side of the groove 27 away from the tapered surface 28 forms a shoulder 29 the outer diameter of which is greater than the maximum diameter of the tapered surface 28.

The retaining ring 21 includes an annular portion 30 and a plurality of radially extending fingers 31, FIG. 6. At the point, indicated generally by the numeral 32, Where each finger 31 joins the annular portion 30 the ring is bent such that the fingers 31 are inclined relative to the plane of the annular portion 30 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

The retaining ring 21 is installed on the button member 20 by positioning the opening in the annular portion 30 of the ring 21 around the end of the cylindrical portion 23 with the fingers 31 inclined toward the dish-shaped portion 22, and forcing the retaining ring 21 toward the dishshaped portion 22. The slots 24 formed in the cylindrical portion 23 permit the arcuate sections 25 to bend inwardly as the retaining ring 21 slides over the tapered surface 28. After the retaining ring 21 reaches the annular groove 27 the inward force on the sections 25 is released and they spring outwardly to their normal positions. The sides of the groove 27, which form shoulders, then prevent the ring from being pulled off the button member.

The button member 20 could also be constructed with the taper 28 eliminated and the diameter of the portion between the groove 27 and the inner end slightly less than the inner diameter of the ring 21. The ring could then be installed on the button member by sliding the ring over this portion until it meets the shoulder 29, heating this portion until it is pliable, and then deforming this portion to cause it to bulge outwardly around the inner side of the ring, thereby forming a groove having an inner shoulder that holds the ring on the button member. When using this construction and method of assembly, the axial slots 24 defining the arcuate sections 25 may be eliminated if desired.

To install the indicating device in the cavity 18 formed in the cock, the button member is positioned with its convex outer surface 33 facing away from the cock and is pressed into the cavity 18 until the end of the cylindrical portion 23 reaches the bottom of the cavity. In this position the outer surface 33 bulges outwardly from the surface of the handwheel, as shown in FIG. 3. The outer diameter of the fingers 31 of the retaining ring before insertion is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the cavity 18, so that the fingers flex toward the open end of the cavity as the button and ring are pressed into the cavity. The shoulder 29 forms a seat for the ring as the button and ring are inserted.

In the event an attempt is made to remove the indicating device from the cavity 18 by prying the button member out, the inner shoulder of the annular groove 27 would bear against the annular portion 30 of the ring 21 and prevent the button member from being pulled away from the ring. The ends of the fingers 31 would bite into the side of the cavity and the forces on the ring would permanently deform the fingers 31 beyond a reusable condition. Therefore the indicating device could not be removed from one cock and reinstalled on another, thereby preventing prankstcrs from interchanging them and possibly causing injury.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative construction of the indicating device. It comprises a button member 35, which may be similar to the button member shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, and a plurality of fingers 36 constituting end portions of a plurality of strips 34 preferably made of metal. The strips 34 extend through a cylindrical portion 37 of the button member 35, and both fingers of each strip are bent toward a disc portion 38 of the button member, similar to the fingers 31 shown in FIG. 6. The strip 34 may be installed on the button member 35 by molding the button member around them. It is apparent that with this construction the taper 28, slots 24 and groove 27 of the previous embodiment are not required. The installation on a cock and the operation of the indicating device of FIG. 7 is similar to that described for the indicating device of FIGS. 3 to 6.

The outer convex surface 33 of the button member 20 or the button member 35 may be provided with any desired symbol or marking to indicate the function of the cock to which it is attached. In the present instance, the button member is provided with the letters H.W. to indicate hot water. If desired the button members may be provided in a variety of colors to further indicate various types of cocks.

The indicating device described has numerous advantages. It is inexpensively manufactured and easily installed but, as previously described, it is not easily removed and reinstalled on another cock. The indicating device has another very important advantage in that it eliminates the necessity for the threaded retaining rings heretofore necessary, thereby allowing a more modern and smoother cock design.

I claim:

1. An indicating device for a cock having a cavity formed therein, comprising a button member having a disc portion and a generally cylindrical portion disposed coaxially with and secured to one side of said disc portion, said cylindrical portion being formed integrally with said disc portion, 'a plurality of spring metal fingers extending outwardly from said cylindrical portion, means formed on said cylindrical portion holding the inner ends of said fingers against substantial axial movement relative thereto, said indicating device being adapted to be positioned with said cylindrical portion and said fingers inside the cavity with the outer ends of said fingers bearing against the side of the cavity, an annular ring secured. to said inner ends of said fingers, and said means comprising an annular groove which receives said ring, said groove providing shoulders preventing substantial movement of said ring.

2. An indicating device for a cock having a cavity formed therein, comprising a button member having a disc portion and a generally cylindrical portion disposed coaxially with and secured to one side of said disc portion, said cylindrical portion being formed integrally with said disc portion, a plurality of spring metal fingers extending outwardly from said cylindrical portion, means formed on said cylindrical portion holding the inner ends of said fingers against substantial axial movement relative thereto, said indicating device being adapted to be positioned with said cylindrical portion and said fingers inside the cavity with the outer ends of said fingers bearing against the side of the cavity, an annular ring secured to said inner ends of said fingers, and said means comprising an annular groove which receives said ring, said groove providing shoulders preventing substantial movement of said ring said button member being made of a flexible material, and a plurality of axially extending slots formed substantially the entire length of said cylindrical portion, and the outer surface of said cylindrical portion being tapered inwardly from said annular groove to the end of said cylindrical portion, whereby said ring may be fastened to said button member by positioning said ring over the end of said cylindrical portion and forcing said ring over said tapered surface to said annular groove, said axially extending slots forming arcuate sections which flex inwardly as said ring is forced over said tapered surface.

3. An indicating device as in claim 2, wherein the side of said groove away from said tapered surface forms a shoulder and said shoulder has a greater diameter than the maximum outer diameter of said tapered surface and forms a seat for said ring as said device is pressed into said cavity.

4. An indicating device for a cock having a cavity formed therein, comprising a button member having a disc portion and a generally cylindrical portion disposed coaxially with and secured to one side of said disc portion, said cylindrical portion being formed integrally with said disc portion, a plurality of spring metal fingers eX- tending outwardly from said cylindrical portion, and means formed on said cylindrical portion holding the inner ends of said fingers against substantial axial movement relative thereto, said indicating device being adapted to be positioned with said cylindrical portion and said fingers inside the cavity with the outer ends of said fingers bearing against the side of the cavity, and a plurality of strips mounted in said cylindrical portion with the ends of said strips extending beyond said cylindrical portion and constituting said fingers.

5. An indicating device as in claim 4, wherein said ends of said strips are bent in the direction of said disc portion.

6. An indicating device as in claim 3, and further including said cock in combination therewith, said cavity in said cock being circular and opening to the surface of said cock and having a diameter which is at least as large as the diameter of said disc portion of said button member, said cylindrical portion having a length such that said disc portion is partially within said cavity and the outer surface of said disc portion bulges outwardly from the surface of said cock when the inner end of said cylindrical portion engages the bottom of said cavity, and the peripheral edge of said disc portion being out of contact with the side of said cavity.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,225,420 5/1917 Eggbert 40-20 1,314,731 9/1919 Bellows 4020 1,660,117 2/1928 Brooks 4020 1,736,722 11/1929 Newman 4020 2,120,058 6/1938 Mitchell 4020 2,142,791 1/1939 Koza 40332 2,733,526 2/1956 Blay 40331 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD V. BENHAM, JEROME SCHNALL,

Examiners. 

1. AN INDICATING DEVICE FOR A COCK HAVING A CAVITY FORMED THEREIN, COMPRISING A BUTTON MEMBER HAVING A DISC PORTION AND A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION DISPOSED COAXIALLY WITH AND SECURED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID DISC PORTION, SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION BEING FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID DISC PORTION, A PLURALITY OF SPRING METAL FINGERS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CYLINDRICLA PORTION, MEANS FORMED ON SAID CYLINDRICLA PORTION HOLDING THE INNER ENDS OF SAID FINGERS AGAINST SUBSTANTIAL AXIAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, SAID INDICATING DEVICE BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND SAID FINGERS INSIDE THE CAVITY WITH THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID FINGERS BEARING AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE CAVITY, AN ANNULAR RING SECURED TO SAID INNER ENDS OF SAID FINGERS, AND SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ANNULAR GROOVE WHICH RECEIVES SAID RING, SAID GROOVE PROVIDING SHOULDERS PREVENTING SUBSTANTIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID RING. 